Double tank flushing apparatus



March 27, 1962 J. D. LANGDON 3,026,535

DOUBLE TANK FLUSHING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 2'7, 1960 INVENTOR JESSE D. LANGDON United States Patent Ofice 3,026,535 Patented Mar. 27, 1962 3,026,535 DOUBLE TANK FLUSHING APPARATUS Jesse D. Langdon, 1 John St., East Rockaway, N.Y. Filed Sept. 27, 1960, Ser. No. 58,737 3 Claims. (Cl. 4 2s This invention relates particularly to devices for flushing water closet bowls and providing a cross connection eliminator to prevent backsiphon-age of contaminated contents of the bowl when a negative pressure exists in the water supply line of such closet.

Further objects and purposes of this invention will appear in the following, specification as illustrated by the drawing used for the purpose of illustration only, showing one form of reduction to practice, which may be changed within the scope of the claims.

The figure of the drawing is a transverse median sectional view of the double tank arrangement, the manual actuating mechanism consisting of valve members and -41, levers 14, 14A, plunger and linkage 15a being shown in relief.

The combination embodied in the invention comprises an inner tank 1 normally sealed against egress of pressure fluid and being provided with liquid supply inlet means 2 and air inlet means 3 provided with an air inlet port 4 normally closed by a ball check valve element 5 and having stop means 6 formed by a pin limiting the movement of check valve 5, the tank 1 is encased in a second tank 1A open to the passage of air above the level of hollow outlet valve casing 7 having a seat portion 8 disposed thru the lower portion of tank 1A, the casing 7 having a nozzle-like outlet end 9 with its opening spaced away from and facing an outlet end 9A provided for tank 1A and adapted to be secured to a water closet bowl or other appropriate plumbing fixture. A tilting type float valve Ill-11 having a seat portion 11 normally resting on seat portion 8 of valve casing 7. A cage 10C limits the rise of valve 1011. A stem 12 is provided for valve 1011. Inlet 2 holds tanks 1 and 1A and nozzles 9 and 9A in spaced relationship to one another, any other supporting means desired may supplement the support formed by inlet conduit 2. In this instance an unusual type of oscillating lever mechanism is used to actuate valve Iii-11 being constructed with a cylindrical extension 13 secured to one side of easing 7 and provided with an inturned flange supporting the outer side of a flange provided for the lever element 14, a flanged plunger element 15 surrounded by resilient means formed by spring 16 tensioned against the inner side of the flange of plunger 15 and urging same against the inner side of the flanged oscillating lever 14. Linkage means 15a for actuating plunger 15 interconnects oscillating lever 14 with handle 14A provided with a shank pivotally inserted thru the wall of tank 1A and arranged to motivate the linkage means. It will be noted the plunger 15 is provided with a relatively sharp pointed end for impinging the stem of valve 10-11; this provides rotating means for seat portion 11 as the point of plunger 15 impinging a round stern creating a frictional stress on the outside of stem 12 which is bound to urge the stem seat portion 11 to one side or the other of said plunger 15 causing the valve 1011 to rotate slightly each time the plunger 15 is actuated. This feature of rotating the valve 11 by frictional stress due to sliding against the outside of stem 12 each time the valve is actuated is important to prevent leakage due to localized wear tending to accrue at one place on the lower peripheral face of the valve seating portion 11. It is anticipated that if the axis of plunger 15 is located 011 center with respect to the axis of the stem 12 of seat portion 11 the valve 1011 will be rotated even if the plunger 11 were not pointed.

The outlet connection 9A has its inner end extended slightly thru the bottom of tank 1A creating a sump v therearound which receives any liquid splashed from water discharged from casing outlet 9, a drain hole 19 being provided to permit the contents of the sump surrounding outlet 9A to drain slowly into and refill the water seal of a trap provided for a wateroloset bowl or other fixture for containing liquid which may be attached to outlet 9A.

A cover 20 spaced away from the top of tank 1A by lugs 21 being provided to permit free ingress of air thru passage space 18 at all times further permitting ingress of air via air inlet 3 and outlet 9 into inner tank 1 when a negative pressure exists therein, thus preventing backflow of contaminated liquid from any fixture to which the described device is attached.

When the handle lever 1A is actuated the linkage 15A motivates the plunger 15 via oscillating lever 14, the flange thereof rocking against the proximate flange of plunger 15 urging same against stem 12, tipping and opening the float valve 10-11, same rising to an open position limited 'by the cage 10C. Air being compressed in tank 1 to a pressure equal to that of pressure fluid entering thru inlet conduit 2, acts to evacuate tank 1 of liquid with a gush tending to minimize the amount of water ordinarily needed to flush a plumbing fixture using conventional equipment.

Particular attention is called to the fact that the inner end opening of air inlet 8 stands at a right angle with relation to the inner end opening of inlet conduit 2, whereby fluid under pressure projected from inlet 2 across the inner end of air inlet 3 acts to asperate air into tank 1 during the refill of the tank with liquid, thus replenishing the air supply in tank 1 after each discharge of the tank content.

Having described the construction and operation of this invention as illustrated by the drawing the following claims are made:

1. A double tank flushing apparatus comprising an inner tank provided with a check valved air inlet normally closed against egress of pressure from within said inner tank, a liquid supply inlet, an outlet exposed to atmosphere at all times formed by a casing attached to the lower portion of said inner tank and providing a seat for a tiltable float valve normally closing said outlet, stop means being located above the float valve to limit the rise thereof when opened, actuating means for said tiltable float valve concomitant said casing, said inner tank disposed within and spaced away from the inside of an outer tank communicating freely with atmosphere above the level of the casing outlet same being spaced away from an outlet provided for said outer tank to permit atmosphere to enter the inner tank outlet when a negative pressure exists therein, whereby the backfiow of contaminated liquid into which the outer tank outlet may be submerged is prevented, air being permitted to enter bot-h tanks to neutralize pressure and nullify the etfects of negative pressure occurring within said supply inlet and said inner tank.

2. A device of the nature described as defined by claim 1, wherein the inner end of the air inlet terminates at one side of and has its opening standing at an angle with relation to the inner end opening of the liquid supply inlet, the liquid inlet opening projecting across the open end of said air inlet and forming aspirating means whereby atmosphere is injected into the inner tank by liquid under pressure flowing thru said liquid inlet acting to replenish the air supply in said inner tank after the tank has been evacuated of its liquid content.

3. A device of the nature defined by claim 1, wherein the outlet passage of the outer tank is formed with a wall portion projecting for a distance into the bottom of the outer tank, same forming a sump to contain liquid 3 4 in the tank around the projection, a restricted opening References Cited in the file of this patent thru the wall of and below the terminus of said projection adapted to drain the contents of said sump thru the out- UNITED STATES PATENTS let passage for the purpose of refilling a liquid sealed 1,151,148 Ainsworth Aug. 24, 1915 trap provided for the drain of a liquid containing fixture 5 2,915,761 Langdon Dec. 8, 1959 attached to said device. 2,918,680 Langdon Dec. 29, 1959 

